Centrifugal air cleaner



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Specification ci? Lehrers Potent.

Parente@ Jan. 3i, MM2.

Application filati January i3, ixllj Serial No. 35,966.

dust or diri from the air before it is admitted.

to the cylindersof the engine.

The principal object of the invention is to provide air cleaner by which such (lirt can he readily removed.

Further objects and advantages will he Inode eviclent hereinafter.

Referring to the drawing which lor il lustrative purposes only,

Fig. l is an enel View otf one embodiment out' nijv invention7 n portion thereoiE heinerl broken sway to better illustrato the internal structure.

Fig. i2 is n side elevation of some, upon lion thereof being broken :muy to heiter illustrate the internal structure.

3 is a View showing the invention nppliecl to un. internal combustion engine.

In the embodiment shown, u cylindrical casing l() is formed ot e shell ll, e bottoni 1:2 and n top'l, the Words top and bottom being used -for identifying purposes only, the cleaneri'nuy he operated with the axis of the Shell-[ll either vertical or horizontal. rl`he casing muy also loe conical spherical or'of any ltorin concentric about un unis. Secured in the top 13 is zin outlet pipe 14- which'coin- Inuniczites with the air intake oi the cnrinire tor l5 oi1 an internal combustion engine i6, @peiling into the shell ll near one end there-- 'of is un air inlet pipe i7 which is so 'forinefl that the nir enters the casing' ll tongentialiy und is :lorccfl to circulate in the fhrection oit the arrow A around the insirle of the casing A portion oi the Wull oi the shell ll is inovecl. The method ot" operation ol the invention is us follows:

rlhe interior o'l'" thesliell l1 is placed under partiel vacuum whenever the engine 1G is started cine to the suction of the enginewhich `is exerted torough the carburetor l5 and thepipe il. immediately upon the es tuhlishment of this vacuum, the ntnlos pheric pressure of the nir outside the casingn ll. causes it to rush through 'the `inlet 17 and to set up fr Whirl or forten inside the casing` l0. The Avortex formed inside the casing l() throws the dirtpnrticles outnfarclly in the casing so that they whirl about close to the Walls thereof in the outer layers of the vortex. is u continuous travel of these particles in the direction oi' the arrow i3 or towards the bottom suny from the top 13. l have studied this Inovenientin vthe direction of the arrows i3 in containers having transparent Wells .'znrl find that it is quite inile pendent of gravity, the particles ci' (lirthcing;l projected upwardly if ihe shell ll is so plncecl that the bottoni 'l2 is on top. This movement is apj'mrently due to un expansion of th(Y nir in the outer luyers of the vortex. The skimmer 2G projects up suiiicientiy to cons'etffntlji cut'oil :i` portion oi the outerluyer ot the vortex so that the particles oi (lust or flirt, :is they corne around, strike against the. shimmer und are thrown (lown into the (lust receptacle 30. The skimmer need not, however, project into the vortex as the (lustpor-- ticles lare under considerable centrifugal stress which is exerted against. the Walls of the shell il, where en openingr like the open ingr 2l, is inode in this u'ull. rlhe dust porticles ure projected violently through this opening iluc to this stress. The (lust receptutti@ Si) Vforms nn un' tight joint so there is prohnhljr no circulation ol nir through the dust receptncle, the shimmer acting as a dirt (.leilector'. l have l'ouml even iii the dust ce taclc fill is removed, that the apparatus still functions and ,lirt is still separated, hut, l liinl that it operates hetter it the dust re ceptacle l0 forms a tight joint with the walls of thecesing. Where the receptacle 3() is left off air is constnntlj7 drawn .into the casing l0 through the opening E21. The clustperti cles to escape through the opening 2l musi; have sufficient momentum to )ass out against this inward current; of air. y studying the iin addition to the vortex action. there l ico " lio pass freelylhrougli the opei'iing 21 even when air 1s rushing through the opening nn der atmospheric pressure. The opening' El can 'obviously be placed in. the bottom 12 cloee` to tlfie wall o elle canin 11. l pre" ventecl'from escaping' throngthe opening 21 therlust particles Will coninne indenitelyto travel around in folie cornerV Vformed by the junction of the casing l1 and "che 'bottom 12. For example, iif'tliere loe a stream of air flowing inwardly through opening 21 .it may prevent -zhe exit of single clust particles, nel'. there will be an aceumnlaeion of suoli particlee gathered form tine cloey air entering through the inlet l? nnil suoli time as ilieir combined mees gives them enicienl meinem tum to overcome the retarcling eeeis of elle incoming air and forces 'there nuls through l claim as my invention:

l. An air cleaner comprising: a eylindrical Casin ,e tengenial air inlet; e lengenlial duel', ouet in an entirely different zone from said tangential air'inlet; and en axial outlet.

El. in air cleaner Comprising: a cylindrical casing; a tangential air inlet clireerly adjacent to one enel ol self?. gential (lust outlet in an ensirely lill zone from saicl tangential air inle; and. an. axial air outlet.

3. An air cleaner comprising; a cylindri` cal casing; a tangential air inlet alireoely azljacent to one end of saifl easing; e angenial dust outlet in an entirely dilerent zone 'from said tangential air inle directly adjacent to the 'other end of casing; and en axial air outlet'.

- 4. An air cleaner comprising;

a cylindrical casing; a tangential air inlet clirecly adjacent to one enel of said easing; a genial lust outlet in an enlirely different zonefrorn seul iangenial en' miel; direesly nlneeee ael'acent to the other encl of casine; and en axial air onlie?y opening; inio the end aclcasing; a iengenlial air inlet directly adjacent to one end of seid easing; a tain gentiel clust outlet iny an entirely (lili'ereni, f

zone from said. tangential air ineen; a duet chamber into'wl'ncli said tangential duel." oui- -lct discharges. seid duel; cheminer being eeu eured in airtiglie relationship lio the Wells el' seid casing; and :in axial air outlet.

7. in air cleaner comprising: a cylindricel casing; a tangenlial air inlet directly noline/ent to one enfl of eaol ceeing; a tangeniel duet oulel; in. anfentirely cli'ereni; e ne from said langenial eir inlet directly melo the o'lier end of casing; a clust elan'iiier inlo which said tangential (lust ourlet lisehargeeseirl clust elietnbef beingl eecnrerl in tight relelionehip to the Walls of Said casing; and en axial air outlet.

fin nir cleaner comprising: a cylinili'in cal eaeing; a angential air inlet directly adjacentizo one end of said casing; a tangential 

